I Wanna Dress You Up
by vampyremiyu
Summary: Haruhi's in a real pinch. Not only does she need a formal gown for an upcoming event, but she's stuck in a dressing room with Mori! MorixHaruhi. Oneshot.


I WANNA DRESS YOU UP  
An Ouran High School Host Club Fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I haven't written for this pairing for a long while. And they deserve lots more lovin'! WARNING for LIGHT LEMON content. Mori x Haruhi pairing. A Standard Disclaimer appears at the end of the story.

--

"How about this one, Haru?"

"I think red is your color."

"Blue looks better on her."

"Or maybe green."

"What do you think, Takashi?"

"Black." A simple word that seemed to send the entire room into a frenzy.

Especially the sales people.

"We have lots of dresses in black!"

"Every woman should have one in her closet."

"We'll be right back with more for you to try on."

Haruhi Fujioka sighed loudly. How many dresses had she tried on so far? Thirteen, she answered honestly, looking into the dressing room. All had been something she had picked out. Obviously the sales clerks didn't agree with her choices. And neither did her friends.

"And don't forget my cake, please."

"Of course!"

She couldn't help but blush slightly under their analytical stares. It was the dress they were sizing up, not her. But she still couldn't help but be embarrassed. She should be used to scrutiny, especially from the Hitachiin twins. They loved to dress her up! Well, she was used to that, she reasoned. She just wasn't used to the scrutiny from the oldest two members of the Host Club.

And she really did need a dress for an upcoming party.

So why was she shopping with Mori and Hunny? Everyone had offered to assist her with her dilemma. Kyoya offered to loan her a dress from his sister. Hikaru and Kaoru offered to make her one. Tamaki, Mori and Hunny offered to take her shopping.

Shopping sounded like the best bet. No doubt Kyoya would charge her a fee for the dress. And the twins...who knew what they'd dream up for her! Shopping was definitely the best bet she had.

And to Tamaki's dismay, Hunny and Mori had offered first.

Haruhi sighed again. "Why black?"

Hunny responded, "You heard the sales lady. Every woman should have one."

Mori nodded. "It's simple, yet elegant."

"Like Haru," Hunny announced happily.

Mori remained silent, nodding again.

"Well," Haruhi was at a loss for words. The comment had made her heart skip a beat. But she wasn't offended. It was the truth. Compared to her schoolmates, she was rather simple. Although elegant wasn't something she often -- if ever -- associated with herself. "All right. Let me know when I have something else to try on."

"Here!"

The sales people were quick. Suddenly her arms were filled with hangers and dresses. Then she was being ushered back into the dressing room.

"Let us know if you need any help!"

"Th-thanks."

Haruhi found herself in another whirlwind. One after the other, she modeled the dresses. And one by one, the dresses were eliminated. Too short. Too long. Too modest. Too immodest. Right color, wrong style and vice versa. Nothing seemed to work. As she received dejected looks from her friends and the sales people, she sulked back into the dressing room.

'Maybe I should've just let my dad pick it out,' she thought miserably.

Hunny noticed her frown and perked up immediately, setting his cake aside. "We'll look for more, Haru." He tried to be reassuring. "Perfection doesn't come easy."

'Or cheap.' Haruhi swallowed hard at the price on the last dress she tried on. "These are all beautiful, but...maybe...we should check out another store?"

The sales people were equally quick to reassure her.

"Don't worry, miss."

"We'll find something."

Haruhi was skeptical. Hadn't she tried on everything in the store yet? The dressing room certainly felt like it. With another sigh, she carefully undressed, laying the black fabric on top of the already discarded pile of dresses. She reached for her own clothes, determined to look elsewhere when someone knocked on the dressing room door.

"Yes?"

"I found one for you."

The voice belonged to Mori-sempai. "Thank you." Surprised, Haruhi didn't know what to say. Then she remembered her state of undress. "Please give me a moment."

"Of course."

Quickly she donned her t-shirt. Then she waited for the dress, only to realize she had to open the door to get it. The room was completely enclosed, and the door could only be opened from the inside without a key. It was nothing like a typical department store, she reminded herself. The rich really did go all out for everything.

"Haruhi?"

"Oh, sorry," she replied, reaching for the door knob. "I'm opening the door now."

Mori saw the door open a crack and waited for Haruhi to reach outward. When she didn't, he tried to reach into the room. His face turned red, despite the fact that he could see or feel nothing. He was embarrassed to be in a women's store, but Hunny's idea was convincing and he felt for Haruhi's plight.

He was certain the dress he picked would alleviate her stress and allow them both to leave the store unscathed. Not that the other dresses had looked horrible, he thought. There was a stirring of...something as he watched her in every dress she tried on. Pride. Possession. The want he tried so hard to hide. But he also noted her dejection. This was the one. He was convinced.

"..."

However, the door wasn't open far and his larger frame was unable to reach too far into the room.

Haruhi's voice sounded faint as she said, "Sorry, I can't reach it. Maybe if you came into the doorway...?"

Mori only nodded. Closing his eyes, he opened the door a little wider and stepped into the doorway. He could feel the hangers and fabric against his arm and understood Haruhi's problem. "I'm coming in," he announced, holding the dress in front of him.

"I think I can reach it now," Haruhi answered, stepping over a pile of dresses on the floor. Her fingertips brushed the hanger. "Almost..."

But not quite.

Haruhi managed to lose her footing, and began to fall into the mass of fabric on the floor.

Mori heard her yelp and opened his eyes. It didn't occur to him that she was only wearing her t-shirt and underwear. It didn't occur to him that he was blushing furiously without even looking. It didn't even occur to him that he dropped the dress he had brought for her to try on.

All that mattered was that Haruhi was in trouble.

Haruhi felt a strong arm around her waist. It steadied her for a moment, but then she continued to fall. She landed on a pile of dresses, the fabric cushioning her fall. But then the arm around her tightened, and she felt additional weight pushing her deeper into the pile.

Mori landed on top of Haruhi with a grunt. He'd tried to right her, but ended up falling with her. Quickly he rolled onto his side, his grip on her loosening. He checked her for bruises and cut before finally realizing her state of undress.

"Gomen," he apologized, attempting to sit up.

"It's okay," Haruhi answered, blushing furiously. Mori was looking away and she looked with him. His eyes focused on the dressing room door.

A closing door.

A door that closed with a loud click.

"Um..."

Both remained still, unmoving as a second click sounded on the door.

"I don't think it's done that before," Haruhi stated.

Mori rose and approached the door. He turned the door handle, but it refused to budge. He tried again, getting it to turn partly, but the door remained jammed. His face turned a bright red as he realized he was stuck in the dressing room with Haruhi.

Haruhi also turned a brighter shade of red as the reality donned on her. "Stuck?"

Mori nodded.

"Hunny," she called out immediately.

There was running and unseen calamity as the smallest member of the Host Club came toward the dressing room. The sales people weren't far behind.

"Oh my!"

"We heard you yell."

"What happened, Haru?"

"The door is stuck," Haruhi explained.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Hunny."

He paused a moment before asking, "Where's Takashi?"

"Here," the taller man replied to his friend. His voice seemed to crack uncharacteristically, showing his embarrassment.

"Are you okay," Hunny asked.

Mori nodded. "We're okay. But the door is jammed."

Haruhi and Mori both flinched as something erupted outside the door. People were suddenly yelling and shuffling around.

"The door is stuck good."

"Keys! We need the keys!"

"Find the keys!"

Haruhi had been staring at the door before looking up at Mori. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't know what was happening either.

"The sales people are looking for the keys." Hunny explained the commotion outside. "We'll have you out in no time. Don't worry!"

'No worries,' the two trapped teenagers thought.

But that was far from the truth.

Mori was more agitated than he was willing to admit. It seemed very uncharacteristic of him. But no one but Hunny knew he was keeping a secret. Very recently he found himself in love. It was unexpected, out of the blue, but there was no denying he harbored feelings for someone special.

And she just happened to be stuck in the same room with him.

"I'm going to help the staff," Hunny said on the other side of the door. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay," Haruhi replied.

Mori suspected that Hunny arranged this shopping day for his benefit. An excuse to spend time with Haruhi. But it benefited her as well. With a major school event coming up that required formal wear, Haruhi definitely needed an appropriate dress. And he was happy to help her out in any way he could. Although he had to admit, he never liked shopping.

His nerves had been on edge all day. Having Hunny close by helped keep him calm. And he focused on the task at hand. But from the time he saw Haruhi in the first dress, his felt his emotions in turmoil. Focusing was becoming difficult with each subsequent dress she modeled. He tried to be content just to watch, but he found himself wanting to become involved. And when he turned his head, he spied the perfect dress for her.

'Foolish,' he thought as he slumped against the wall.

"Mori-sempai?"

He stood up straight at the sound of her voice. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes."

The situation also heightened Haruhi's anxiety. Though she felt she had nothing to fear from her older classmate, she had never actually been alone with him. She was accustomed to his silence, but it felt awkward in the confines of the dressing room. It also didn't help that she found him rather attractive despite his brooding, quiet nature.

'I'm being foolish,' she told herself, looking at everything else in the room except for her classmate. 'Besides, spending some time with Mori-sempai isn't a bad thing.'

Yet she didn't know what to say to him. Especially after his daring rescue. She blushed again remembering the feel of him up close to her. His weight was downplayed by his warmth. He was the epitome of strength, yet exuded a gentleness one might not expect. She barely withheld a shiver remembering what he felt like against her. The act wasn't sexual, yet she could picture nothing else in her mind.

'Not possible,' she tried to convince herself. 'Think of something else!'

In an effort to take her mind off the situation and put them both more at ease, Haruhi came up with an idea.

"Well, why don't I try on the dress you brought, sempai?"

Mori turned toward Haruhi. It was a simple idea. One meant to divert both of them from the awkwardness of their situation. However, it created yet another awkward situation. Did she realize?

Picking up the dress up from the floor, he handed it to her with a small smile. He was grateful she didn't notice his shaky hand as she accepted the garment. He stood motionless, waiting for her to speak, to remove her t-shirt. He flinched when he realized his thought and chastised himself inwardly.

Haruhi also seemed a bit flustered. 'What was I thinking?' Clearing her throat she asked, "Do you mind...?"

Mori nodded. In one swift motion he turned away from her, standing as close to the door as he could. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her silhouette moving in the mirror. It was so tempting to watch. She'd never know, a small voice in his head reasoned.

Closing his eyes, the taller man sighed. 'No,' he told himself. 'I will respect her privacy.'

Too bad his body wasn't in agreement.

And his mind ran rampant with ideas of its own.

Haruhi watched Mori for a moment before turning around as well. She held the dress before her, examining it. It appeared to be simple, with a modest front and a deep V in the back. The fabric felt like silk and sparkled a bit in the light of the dressing room. It was pretty, she reasoned. The more she looked at it the more she liked it.

'But will it look good on,' she wondered.

Mori tried to think of anything besides Haruhi. He heard the rustle of fabric and clenched a fist at his side to keep himself from daring a look in the mirror. Now was a bad time to finally admit that he liked Haruhi, he reasoned. An even worse moment to realize how badly he wanted her. Yet he remained still, and true to the promise to honor her privacy.

Haruhi turned, glancing at herself in the mirror. She smiled as she noticed Mori, still facing the door with his eyes closed. She did a quick take of herself before realizing she needed help with one piece of the dress.

"Okay, I think I've got it," Haruhi said, smoothing the material over her frame. Her hands started to shake as she added, "You can turn around now, sempai."

Mori waited a moment before turning around. It took him but a second to register Haruhi and another second for his breath to be stolen away. She looked radiant, and slightly embarrassed.

The dress really did suit her well, accenting every line and curve. She could've worn any color other than black in this dress, and it still would've been beautiful. His pulse quickened and he felt himself blush before coughing into his hand to regain some composure.

"It's lovely."

Haruhi felt her face burn hot. "Can I ask a favor, Mori-sempai?"

"Yes."

"I think this sash ties in the back," she motioned to the flimsy fabric around her waist. "Could you...?"

Mori said nothing, stepping forward as Haruhi turned around. He kneeled on the floor for better vision and lightly tied the sash. He took an extra moment to admire his work, and the view, before saying, "Done."

"Thank...you..." Haruhi's voice was barely a whisper as she turned around and found herself eye to eye with Mori.

They fell silent again, staring at each other. Haruhi's heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she couldn't move to catch it. Mori was in a similar situation, unable to move no matter how much he wanted to touch her. To kiss her.

Then his arm lifted, his hand moving on its own. His fingertips brushed the soft skin of her cheek. The skin tinted pink in embarrassment, but she didn't move. Hey were both caught up in the eyes of the other, searching for something. Emotion. Feeling. Permission.

It was Mori that spoke first. "Gomen," he whispered.

Then he kissed her.

The kiss was tentative, a mere brushing of lips. But it conveyed every emotion Mori felt. Anxiety. Nervousness. Eagerness. Curiosity. Love. Yes, he could finally admit to himself that he was in love with her. There was no other explanation for how he felt about her.

But...how did she feel about him?

Haruhi could only blink as they parted. Her brain couldn't wrap around Mori's actions. Logically it was just a kiss. She'd received kisses before. But illogically this was different. She could literally feel his emotion just from the pressure of his lips against hers. It made her own emotions swirl and run rampant.

'What should I do? What should I say,' she wondered to herself.

Mori examined her face carefully before releasing her from his grasp. He expected her to be surprised, but was uncertain about her silence. Was it good? Bad? He held his breath in anticipation. But when she said nothing, he sighed. Had he gone too far, pushing his feelings onto her?

Pulling away, Mori offered a small smile of apology. "Gomen ne. I should--"

But before he could turn away, Haruhi had leaned closer, placing her lips against his. She had no idea what she was doing, really. She was herself and yet, not. All she knew was that she liked his kiss, and wanted another with a desperation she didn't know existed.

His honorable intentions argued with his hormones but it was a losing battle at this point. She kissed him. HIM! And he was not about to argue with the young lady. His arms rose, surrounding her in a tight embrace. And as soon she opened her mouth -- just the slightest parting of lips -- he invaded.

Haruhi was most curious as his tongue began dancing with hers. It seemed like chaos. Yet, there was a sense of choreography. If her tongue moved one way, his complimented it and vice versa. It was unknown, and yet perfect.

Once her mind was able to grasp this new kiss, her senses began to pick up on other things. His close proximity. His strong arms around her hips. His warmth permeated her once again. It threatened to drown her as the kiss continued. She reached out for his strength, to keep from drowning.

Mori unwrapped his arms. Grasping her hips, he guided her into his lap. She didn't complain, the kiss never breaking. It wasn't enough to just kiss her anymore. He wanted to feel her as he had when they'd fallen. Wanted to touch her. With the dress gathered in his hands, the pad of his thumb brushed the outside of her thighs as she moved downward.

Her arms wrapped around his neck to hold on for dear life. Haruhi settled into his lap, straddling his legs. The dress was pushed up from the movement, but she hardly noticed. Instead the kiss intensified, her fingertips brushing the nape of his neck before tangling themselves in his dark hair. Their tongues began another slow dance before they both had to part for air.

But even though the kiss stopped, their hands did not.

Haruhi's hands slid from his neck, over his shoulders and moved to the collar of his shirt. She held tightly onto the material, nearly ripping the top button from the shirt. She felt as if she was in a fog, her breathing erratic and her body wanting to move without thinking. She needed to be grounded, to think. And just when she thought a moment of clarity was upon her, she felt Mori's hands move upward from her hips and stop just below her breasts.

Mori nearly growled as he felt the underside of Haruhi's breasts with his thumbs. The digits moved of their own free will as he kissed her cheek, her chin, and then her neck. She shuddered in his hold, her head falling forward, but didn't complain. Emboldened he gently palmed one breast squeezing just slightly.

Haruhi's body was humming from his attentions. She still tried to make sense of her tumultuous feelings as her own hands moved freely, unbuttoning the young man's shirt. One button, two, three, and four. Just enough so her smaller hand could sneak inside. He wore an undershirt, she noted, but could still feel his physique underneath. Her eyes focused on her hands on his chest until her vision blurred and she nearly cried out.

Pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, Mori felt Haruhi's reaction before he heard it. Quickly he brushed his lips over hers before possessing her lips in a another passionate kiss. This time she molded against him, her warmth mixing with his. And for a single moment he felt her thigh brush against his encaged manhood. He moaned at the sensation, molding her breasts in his hand again as a reward.

"It's awfully quiet."

"I hope they're okay."

Commotion started to build on the other side of the door, and Mori thought he heard the jingle of keys. But it wasn't until he heard to the door shake behind him that he realized the store employees were close to their goal. He pulled away from the kiss, and from Haruhi, gently releasing his hold.

"Everything okay in there?"

"They're not running out of oxygen are they?"

Haruhi was oblivious at first, caught up in the heat of the moment. She blinked quickly, trying to once again make sense of it all. But then she too heard the growing commotion at the door, and pulled away slowly. Mori's arms loosened without question, but he was unwilling to completely let her go. The palm of his hand cupped her cheek.

"Mori..."

"Gomen," he apologized again. "I...I've wanted to do that."

Haruhi blinked again. He wanted to kiss her? To touch her? "Really?"

He nodded.

"Oh...um...thank you."

He raised an eyebrow in question. "For?"

"Finding this dress," she said, her cheeks blazing.

"You're welcome."

"Ano...?" Her face turned another shade of red. "We should...perhaps...talk about this...?"

He smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes, we'll talk." The handle of the door wiggled again and the commotion outside grew louder. "Later."

Mori pulled away, albeit regrettably, forcing Haruhi to stand. He assisted in fixing her dress and then rebuttoned his own shirt. And just in time, too. They both started, turning toward the door as it finally opened.

"Haru! Takashi!" Hunny bounced into the room.

"Oh thank goodness," one of the sales women said, seeing them both unharmed.

"Are you both all right?" That from the store manager himself.

"Fine," Haruhi said, her voice still a little breathless. "We're fine."

"Is that a new dress," Hunny asked, noting Haruhi's attire. "It's perfect!"

"Yes," Mori added with a nod to Hunny.

"Oh it's stunning!" "Quite lovely!"

"I...I'll take it," Haruhi stated.

There was another moment of overwhelming silence before the store erupted in commotion once more.

"Wonderful!" "Great!" "Glad we could help!"

The manager bowed. "Cash or credit?"

"Cash."

Everyone looked at Mori, who had answered the store manager's question. The sales people were shocked, as was Haruhi. Hunny, though, smiled brightly.

"Good call, Takashi!"

As the sales people walked away with Mori and Hunny in tow, Haruhi changed into her clothes. All the while, she could feel the warmth of Mori's kiss. It gave her goose bumps just thinking about it. And he wanted to kiss her. She was surprised, but pleasantly so. They would definitely talk later. In the meantime, she was going to drown in anticipation.

Sighing, she finished tying her sneakers and took one last look at herself in the mirror. The dress really did do something, she thought as she held it over her again. But what exactly, she didn't know.

"Haru!"

"Coming," Haruhi said, reaching for the door handle. By the time she reemerged, the dress was bought and paid for. They only needed to bag it.

"Please come back again."

The sales staff waved as they left the store.

"Thanks, guys," Haruhi said as they walked down the street towards the waiting limo.

"Our pleasure, Haru," Hunny answered. "Now, let's go for lunch! Hungry, Takashi?"

Mori nearly moaned, his body barely cooled from his encounter with Haruhi. She was so close he wanted to hold her, to kiss her again. But he remained restrained. What was the rush, after all? Instead, he nodded, his eyes glancing at Haruhi. He smiled as he noticed her cheeks turning pink.

"Haruhi?"

"Umm..." she shrugged. "Some place with giant tuna."

"Giant tuna it is!" Hunny bounced down the sidewalk, still smiling.

As he turned away from his friends, Hunny silently cheered. The day had gone just as he planned. Haruhi had gotten the dress she needed, and Mori had gotten something he needed. He only hoped his best friend was brave enough to go for it. They were in there long enough at any rate. He couldn't hide the keys forever.

But, if all else failed, he could always find a way to lock them in a smaller dressing room.

After lunch.

--END--

DISCLAIMER:  
Ouran High School Host Club is a brilliant piece of work by creator Bisco Hatori. Originally published in 2003 by HAKUSENSHA, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, this masterpiece is being translated and published by VIZ Media for fans in America and Canada. I do not own a single piece of the characters used in this story. They were kidnapped and used here without permission.


End file.
